Reasons why Pardeep Narwal should leave UP Yoddhas

The Dubki King had a very rough outing in season 10.

UP Yoddhas was one of the teams that created a lot of buzz at the start of Pro Kabaddi League season 10 (PKL 10), with players like Pardeep Narwal in their lineup. They couldn’t translate the strength in the paper to the mat, though, because they continued losing. They were the second team eliminated and lost their chance to make the playoffs for the first time.

There are multiple reasons why Yoddhas missed out on a playoff spot, one of the primary reasons being the lack of points from their primary Raider Pardeep Narwal. Once a superstar of the game, Pardeep no longer seemed to create fuss among the defenders and was long away from his dominating best. With things looking bleak, Pardeep Narwal might have to find a new home and role in season 11 of PKL.

Let’s look into the reasons why it is in the best interest of Pardeep Narwal that he makes a shift from UP Yoddhas.

Lack of playing time

Kabaddi is a game of momentum and the more a player spends time on the mat, the better he gets. It hasn’t been the case with Pardeep Narwal as he was forced to spend time on the bench rather than on the mat. Opposition defenders made light work of him as instead of getting points for the team, he was in a position expecting to be revived in most of season 10.

Lack of coordination with team management

When Pardeep Narwal left Patna Pirates it raised many eyebrows. But one man had set his eyes on getting the Record Breaker into his team at all costs and it was the coach of the UP Yoddhas, Jasveer Singh. After a couple of wonderful seasons, Pardeep seemed to have lost steam as he hardly made an impact in season 10 scoring just 122 points from 17 games. He was asked to sit out for the final few games, probably the first indication that the team management has started thinking beyond the Dubki King.

Lack of support

While it is tough to be at the top of the game for years, great players find ways to be at the top. Pardeep continued his domination after he forged a strong attacking partnership with Surender Gill in the Yoddhas. In Season 8, Gill (189) scored more points than Pardeep (188), and in Season 9, Pardeep (220) was back at his best outscoring Gill (140). With injuries and lack of form, Surender Gill failed to replicate the success and Pardeep was found fighting a lone battle against top-class defensive units.

New team to play with freedom

It is in the best interest of Pardeep that he moves into a new franchise and finds a new role to express himself. The likes of Rakesh Kumar moved to U Mumba and Anup Kumar found himself in the Pink Panthers’ jersey towards the later stages of their PKL career. Pardeep taking such a route might help him reinvent himself and play with more freedom to just attack and not worry about other things.

To finish career on high

Time and Tide Wait for None and Pardeep isn’t getting any younger day by day. Every sportsman would want to finish his career on a high and it is the individual performances and the impact they cause on the results of the team, shows how the team values him. If Pardeep can find a home with a stronger squad, he could express himself and lift the PKL trophy one more time.

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